Dieng Hamady, Satho Tomomitsu, Binti Arzemi Nurul Atieqah, Aliasan Nur Ezzati, Abang Fatimah, Wydiamala Erida, Miake Fumio, Zuharah Wan Fatma, Abu Kassim Nur Faeza, Morales Vargas Ronald E, Morales Noppawan P, Noweg Gabriel Tonga
Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Japan.
Acta Trop. 2018 Sep;185:230-238. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.05.019. Epub 2018 May 29.
Food location by mosquitoes is mediated by resource-derived olfactory and visual signals. Smell sensation is intermittent and dependent on the environment, whereas visual signals are continual and precede olfactory cues. Success of mosquito bait technology, where olfactory cues are used for attraction, is being impeded by reduced attractiveness. Despite proof that mosquitoes respond to colored objects, including those mimicking floral shape, and that they can discriminate among flowers, the impacts of artificial flowers on foraging remain unexplored. Using artificial flowers with sugar rewards, we examined the foraging responses of Aedes aegypti to various colors in equal choice bioassays. Starved adults were exposed to single flowers with petals of a given color (Single Blue Flowers [SBFs]; Single Red Flowers [SRFs]; Single Yellow Flowers [SYFs]; Single Pink Flowers [SPIFs]; and Single Purple Flowers [SPFs]) and two others with white petals (SWFs). Discrepancies in response time, visitation, feeding, and resting of both sexes were compared between colored flowers and SWFs. Ae. aegypti exhibited shorter response times to colored flowers compared to SWFs, but this behavior was mostly seen for SBFs or SYFs in females, and SRFs, SYFs, SPIFs, or SPFs in males. When provided an option to land on colored flowers and SWFs, female visitation occurred at high rates on SBFs, SRFs, SYFs, SPIFs, and SPFs; for males, this preference for colored flowers was seen to a lesser degree on SBF and SPIFs. Both sexes exhibited preference for colored flowers as sugar sources, but with different patterns: SPIFs, SRFs, SYFs, and SPFs for females; SYFs, SPFs, SPIFs and SRFs for males. Females preferentially rested on colored flowers when in competition with SWFs, but this preference was more pronounced for SPFs, SRFs, and SBFs. Males exhibited an increased preference for SRFs, SPFs, and SYFs as resting sites. Our results indicated the attraction of Ae. aegypti to rewarding artificial flowers, in some cases in ways similar to live flowering plants. The discovery that both male and female Ae. aegypti can feed on nectar mimics held by artificial flowers opens new avenues for improving sugar bait technology and for developing new attract-and-kill devices.
蚊子对食物位置的定位是由源自资源的嗅觉和视觉信号介导的。嗅觉感受是间歇性的且依赖于环境，而视觉信号是持续存在的且先于嗅觉线索。利用嗅觉线索进行吸引的蚊虫诱饵技术，由于吸引力降低而受到阻碍。尽管有证据表明蚊子会对有色物体做出反应，包括那些模仿花朵形状的物体，并且它们能够区分不同的花朵，但人工花对觅食的影响仍未得到探索。我们使用带有糖奖励的人工花，在同等选择生物测定中研究了埃及伊蚊对各种颜色的觅食反应。将饥饿的成虫暴露于花瓣为特定颜色的单朵花（单朵蓝色花[SBF]；单朵红色花[SRF]；单朵黄色花[SYF]；单朵粉色花[SPIF]；和单朵紫色花[SPF]）以及另外两朵花瓣为白色的花（SWF）中。比较了有色花和SWF之间两性在反应时间、访花、取食和停歇方面的差异。与SWF相比，埃及伊蚊对有色花的反应时间更短，但这种行为在雌性中主要见于SBF或SYF，在雄性中见于SRF、SYF、SPIF或SPF。当有选择降落在有色花和SWF上的机会时，雌性在SBF、SRF、SYF、SPIF和SPF上的访花率很高；对于雄性，在SBF和SPIF上对有色花的这种偏好程度较低。两性都表现出对作为糖源的有色花的偏好，但模式不同：雌性偏好SPIF、SRF、SYF和SPF；雄性偏好SYF、SPF、SPIF和SRF。当与SWF竞争时，雌性优先停歇在有色花上，但这种偏好在SPF、SRF和SBF上更为明显。雄性对SRF、SPF和SYF作为停歇地点的偏好增加。我们的结果表明埃及伊蚊会被有奖励的人工花吸引，在某些情况下，其方式类似于活的开花植物。雌雄埃及伊蚊都能取食人工花所持有的花蜜模拟物这一发现，为改进糖诱饵技术和开发新的诱捕杀灭装置开辟了新途径。
